Executive Mayor of Cape Town and Democratic Alliance (DA) member of Parliament Geordin Hill-Lewis has clapped back at President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This comes after the president doubled back on comments he previously made that Cape Town was one of the best-run municipalities.
“CAPE TOWN’S NUMBER ONE FAN”
Taking to X, Hill-Lewis responded to an earlier thread he had shared of Ramaphosa telling African National Congress (ANC) members to learn from the DA. Alongside a photo of himself with the president, the mayor wrote: “Cape Town’s number one fan.”
During a session responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, 14 October, Ramaphosa noted that, although the City of Cape Town performs well on financial governance measures, it has not shown significant progress in reducing inequality.
The president cited census data showing that between 2011 and 2022, Cape Town lagged behind the average of all metros in expanding access to services such as refuse removal, piped water, electricity, and flush toilets.
RAMAPHOSA’S PREVIOUS ENDORSEMENT
Ramaphosa had previously acknowledged, in his capacity as ANC president, that DA-governed municipalities often outperform others and urged ANC councillors to learn from the opposition party’s governance model.
At the time, Hill-Lewis thanked the president for his “unofficial endorsement,” highlighting what he called the DA difference:
“The President asks, ‘What could it be?’ that explains this difference? The answer is clear: a party in government in Cape Town that is committed to public service, to growing the economy, to appointments based on merit rather than race or ideology, and to integrity with public funds.”
